BE IT ENACTED by the Queen's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:-

Space allowances and bedding.

1. - (1) Where rearing pigs are kept in a group in a building, each pig shall be provided with at least the amount of space set out in the Schedule.

(2) Appropriate bedding shall be provided for any pig kept in a building.

(3) Any person who keeps, or causes or knowingly permits to be kept, a pig in a building and who fails to comply with the requirements of subsections (1) and (2) above shall be guilty of an offence.

Weaning.

2. It shall be an offence to wean, or cause or knowingly permit to be weaned, a piglet from the sow at an age of less than six weeks, unless the welfare or health of the dam or piglet would otherwise be adversely affected.

Tail-docking.

3. It shall be an offence to dock, or cause or permit to be docked, pigs' tails either-

(a) routinely; or

(b) in an individual case, unless in such an individual case a veterinary surgeon certifies that the tail-docking is necessary to safeguard the pig's health and an anaesthetic is used.

Penalty.

4. A person guilty of an offence under this Act shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale.

Interpretation.

5. In this Act-

"pig" means an animal of the porcine species of any age, kept for breeding or fattening;

"piglet" means a pig from birth to weaning;

"rearing pig" means a pig from weaning to slaughter.

Short title, commencement and extent.

6. - (1) This Act may be cited as the Welfare of Pigs Act 1998.

(2) This Act shall come into force at the end of the period of two years beginning on the day on which it is passed.